Lake Mary, County Negotiating Water Pact

LAKE MARY — The city is likely to supply water from its new plant to the county as part of a cost-saving agreement, which the city and the county are negotiating.

City Manager Kathy Rice said as the negotiations stand now, the city would provide water to some of the 5,000 homes planned in The Crossings planned unit development.

The county, in turn, would provide water for houses, business and firefighting to the industrial area between Interstate 4 and Lake Emma Road, and 61 homes in the Country Downs subdivision.

City and county commissioners last week gave city and county staffs approval to continue discussing options for a new wholesale water agreement. Under the current agreement, the county supplies water to a small portion of the city south of Lake Mary Boulevard. The city until last week received most of its water from Sanford.

''Lake Mary would still have the integrity of the new water system, but also have the protection without adding extra distribution lines,'' said Rice. Jim Bible, county director of environmental services, said the agreement will allow the county to delay or cancel plans to build additional tanks and wells in its Greenwood Lakes plant.

The city's new plant, which began full operation on Wednesday, can supply water through 8,000 hook-ups. Of those, the city could sell the county 2,000 connections, said Rice. About 4,000 connections are committed to new developments coming into the city, she said.

The plant now serves most of the city, with the exception of the small area between I-4 and Lake Emma Road serviced by the county's Greenwood Lakes plant. Rice said once concrete terms for the agreement are worked out, county and city commissioners will review them.